TEAM THAT CAN’T FINISH IS ALL BUT FINISHED NOW

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has the pocket collapse around him in the third quarter against Baltimore. It was one of six sacks by the Ravens in the game. Rivers, who was sacked a career-high 38 times in 2010, has been sacked 32 times in 11 games. K.C. Alfred • U-T

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Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has the pocket collapse around him in the third quarter against Baltimore. It was one of six sacks by the Ravens in the game. Rivers, who was sacked a career-high 38 times in 2010, has been sacked 32 times in 11 games. K.C. Alfred • U-T

The smoldering ruins of a season were all but snuffed out Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium, and you just can’t make up the way the Chargers continue to fail.

They thought they were better than the average team, and at times they appear to be, which only makes reconciling the results more difficult.

“It’s just really frustrating because we’ve shown we can play,” linebacker Jarret Johnson said. “I’ve been on bad teams, riddled with injuries, bad guys, dysfunctional. This team is every bit the opposite of that ... We’ve shown we’re a talented team, offensively and defensively. And at the same time, we’ve turned around and proven time and again that we just don’t know how to win.”

A fourth-and-29 converted by the opponent. Another double-digit lead lost in the fourth quarter. An offense that scored just three points after halftime, the fifth time in the past eight games it has done that (or even less).

It could just be as simple as a bad team finding a way to lose. Again.

But that’s not easy for them to grasp, certainly not something they can simply accept. We can, but they can’t.

Still, the way they found to lose Sunday in overtime, 16-13 to the Baltimore Ravens, stunned the Chargers (4-7) into silence. They rolled their eyes and shook their heads and sure looked like a team close to understanding the season has fallen in on itself.

They just can’t figure out why they have lost six of their past seven games. And they’re all but out of time for any sort of answer to matter.

If they’d just go down quietly, maybe fall behind by 20 early in the third quarter and never threaten, the populace could let the apathy wash over them.

But these Chargers are teases. No matter what you say on Twitter or talk about at lunch, many of you continue to care in spite of yourself.

Amid signs of widespread fan indifference, in a stadium well shy of a sellout, the Chargers actually induced the faithful well past interested and all the way to passionate.

A crowd that earlier wouldn’t have been out of place in a library revived memories of those Sundays of the last decade.

That’s the thing. A team has to have a lead in order to not be able to finish.

The Chargers have led, for sure. It just doesn’t mean anything anymore.

The Chargers won 33 of their first 37 games under Norv Turner in which they led at the half. Since ceding an 11-point lead at the New York Jets last October, though, they are just 8-6 when leading at halftime. And after converting their first three halftime leads into victory this season, they’ve led at the half five times and lost four of those games.

Not that it matters. It only makes it worse.

“There is no way to make losing sound good,” Philip Rivers said.

Being close was never enough, but it is not even a comfort anymore.

Not when this happens: Joe Flacco finds Ray Rice about five yards from the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-29, and the Baltimore running back eludes every Charger defender en route to a 30-yard gain that set up a game-tying field goal as time expired.

You want to say, “Only the Chargers.” But forever is a long time.

The team that earlier this year became just the third team (of 442) ever to lead a game 24-0 at halftime and lose the game yesterday became the first team since 2001 to allow a fourth-down conversion that long without the aid of a penalty.

To that point, there were reasons to believe this would be their first victory over a team with a winning record.

Turner pulled a play call out of his backside to get Malcom Floyd open for a touchdown. Rivers played smart enough and survived long enough for the Chargers to move ball in the middle of the game, taking a 10-0 lead into the half and a 13-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Now, there was the season-long slumber in between the scores. Yes, it’s Seyi Ajirotutu and Danario Alexander lined up wide and an entirely fill-in left side of the line trying to make do.

And, yes, strong safety Atari Bigby went down early, Donald Butler left the game a short time later and Eric Weddle didn’t play in overtime after getting rocked at the end of the fourth-down conversion.

But the time is long expired for any excuses to mean anything.

And on this day, there was a contrast right in front of us.

In those moments games are ultimately decided, the Ravens have what the Chargers don’t.

“They’re a perfect example,” Johnson said of the Ravens, who are 5-1 in games decided by one score. “… Somehow, they figure out a way to win. We’re the opposite of that.”